Greetings, DOOL-ers! I’m back after a week off, and things continue to get crazy in Salem. Sophia and Melinda concocted a story that’s as flimsy as a paper straw after three sips of a milkshake: She went to Chicago to meet a prospective family, suddenly gave birth, and then decided to give the parents the baby. I think Brady was a little suspicious of her story, although he didn’t say anything. Someone’s eventually going to get the gumption to scrutinize the details of her tale and uncover the truth. Brady is fully expecting to meet the adoptive parents and the baby, and Sophia can only keep them at bay for so long.
But there was another red flag this week as Rachel told Sarah that Sophia had a girl, but the good doctor checked the charts and recalled that it was a boy. I was hoping the secret would stay secret for at least a couple of years, but it looks like it may come out sooner than we expected. Still, it’s going to take some deep investigating to get to the bottom of the baby deception.
Gabi agreed to join forces with Tony to take DiMera Enterprises back, and in return, she would be named CEO. She’s got an in now because she and Xander bonded when she helped him with baby Victoria. While she was hesitant to betray him because he was nice to her, you could see the wheels moving in her head that she could use this newfound connection to do Tony’s bidding. Her prize will be to finally own Gabi Chic herself, so she’s very motivated.
But...even though Tony claimed he didn’t want the CEO job for himself, could he be his evil twin, André, in reality? The DAYS summer preview showed mentions of Stefano, and we hear Tony saying, “It’s almost time, Father.” We also got a clip of Rafe stating that there was a reason Stefano was called ‘The Phoenix,’ so could Tony be André, who is trying to bring Stefano back to life?
Despite Marlena hypnotizing EJ, he still couldn’t see the face of the person shooting him. This seems like a plot device to stretch the story out for a while longer. The shooter seemed to be someone extremely upsetting to him, but who could be more upsetting than Johnny? The way he was telling the person to give him the gun made it sound like he was talking to a kid, so could the shooter be Rachel? The wonderful Susan Banks returned to solve the mystery, so hopefully her powers will help get to the bottom of it.
Doug stole the necklace back from Gwen and gave it back to Julie. As a result, she changed her tune about him, and they had a nice parting conversation. She said it made her feel close to her mother and grandmother, and he mentioned he has gold cufflinks that make him feel close to his dad. She then gave him old Doug’s gold watch, which brought him luck. Then she told him, wherever he settled, he should tell her how much he owes the bad guys, and she’ll wire him the money, because it puts him in danger as long as he’s in debt. But isn’t that guy in jail now? I suppose villains can still do business from behind bars.
Oh no! Marlena passed out in court during Johnny’s trial! At first, it seemed that the excuse that she’s been stressed out lately worked, but then at the end of Friday’s episode, she fell asleep and had a dream, with the book 1001 Arabian Nights sitting nearby. She dreamed about the time she was Stefano’s Queen of the Night. Does this tie in to what I mentioned above about Tony/André? I don’t know, but I’m excited to find out!
LOOSE ENDS
Susan sensed a bad vibe around Marlena. Was Marlena the one who shot EJ? Or are things leading to a possible resurrection of Stefano? No matter how you slice it, things are definitely getting intriguing! I love that DAYS isn’t afraid to delve into paranormal, supernatural, and even sci-fi stories, and the topics are treated with respect, rather than being turned into a mockery.
EXTRA SCOOPS
REFERENCES
Leo admitted to Gwen, “I saw you go into the Salem Inn with a man the other night. How shall I describe him? Let’s see, washboard abs, a chest that could double as a landing strip, kind of looks like Chris Hemsworth when he’s in his Thor mode.” She responded, “So you saw me with Xander, then, did you?” Thor, of course, is the famous Marvel Comics character who was based on the Norse god of the same name. Thor first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 (1962) and was created by artist Jack Kirby, writer Stan Lee, and scripter Larry Lieber.
Leo answered Gwen with, “Ding, ding, ding. And the burning question is, are you really running headfirst into that buzz saw again? Spectating minds want to know.” That’s a reference to the famous tabloid newspaper, The National Enquirer, which had several ad campaigns in the 1980s with the slogan, “Enquiring minds want to know.”
When Arianna and Holly were being held captive by the baddie who was shaking Doug III down for money, they tried escaping through a vent. Ari was crawling through it and told Holly she saw a mouse. Then she said to the rodents, “Okay, Mickey or Minnie, if you stay out of my way, I promise I’ll stay out of yours.” Do I really need to explain a Mickey Mouse reference? I didn’t think so.
Leo was talking to Chad on the phone, expressing his dismay that he was on the jury for Johnny’s trial instead of covering it for the newspaper. He stated that he could turn the experience into a book deal, and then imagined who would play him in the movie version, saying, “I’m thinking Matthew Bomer can play me in the miniseries. Although, is it ‘Bo-mer,’ or ‘Bomb-er’? I can never remember.” Matthew Bomer has been acting for quite a few years, and is probably most well-known by fans for playing Larry Trainor, aka Negative Man, on the MAX adaptation of DC Comics’ Doom Patrol.
Leo came home and told Javi he was worried that someone was following him. He told him about EJ trying to bribe him, and said, “Well, I hope you’re still proud of me when we wake up with a horse head in our bed.” In the classic 1972 film, The Godfather, Jack Woltz (John Marley) wakes up to find a real horse's head in his bed. It symbolized the Don's power and willingness to use extreme violence to get what he wants. The Godfather was played by legendary actor Marlon Brando, and the scene illustrated the Don's reach, even into Woltz's most private space.
SHOT OF THE WEEK
There were two good shots this week that went by so fast it was nearly impossible to grab screenshots, but I was able to do it. First, we have Tate rescuing Holly and Ari by kicking the door in to where they were being held. Then later, Ari gave Doug a piece of her mind and slapped him on the face at the Brady Pub.
TONY’S FASHION OF THE WEEK
Okay, new segment here, folks. Two weeks ago, I commented on Tony’s awesome blue suit with red accents, and this week, he has another snazzy outfit, so we’ll do a ‘Tony’s Fashion of the Week’ for as long as Thaao Penghlis continues to wear awesome clothes. This week, he’s wearing a sharp, classic black suit that exudes elegance and authority, which includes a black blazer with notched lapels, a dark slate blue dress shirt buttoned to the top, creating a sleek, refined look, a matching slate blue satin tie, and a checkered pocket square with a splash of white, giving the outfit a pop of contrast and sophistication. His overall look is understated, stately, and appropriately dramatic.
LINE(S) OF THE WEEK
Leo and Javi were talking about how he’s a juror at Johnny’s trial, so he can’t cover it for the news. Javi said, “If it’s as sensational as you think, then you’ll have a front row seat. I mean, who better to write a book than you when it’s all over?” And then Leo had a bolt of inspiration and said, “Wait, what if after the trial I write a book about it?“ Javi goes, “Didn’t I just say that?” Leo responded, “I guess. It just sounds way different coming from me.”
Leo later gave Gwen some guff for not giving the necklace back to Julie, and she insisted it now belonged to her and wasn’t her reason for returning to Salem. He retorted, “Well, whatever your purpose is, you are absolutely giving off some vacuous, vindictive Real Housewives vibes.” Then, in a mock-posh accent, he said, “I don’t get mad. I get even, right?”
Gwen and Leo were talking about Dimitri and the fact that she now has the Von Leuschner fortune, and he said, “If it’s any consolation, when it comes to Dimitri, we both lost big. At least you got his fortune. All I got was a ‘Dear Leo’ letter that looked like it was written by a third-grader.”
Philip asked Xander why the nanny wasn’t watching Victoria, and his brother explained that he was implementing a daycare at Titan/DiMera, but it would take a while to get the license for it. Philip then said, “Well, in the meantime, I’ve got a great idea. Why don’t you let her go back home to be with her mother instead of trapping her in that cage all day?” He was referring to the playpen that the baby was in and Xander retorted, “It’s not a cage. It’s a portable crib.” Philip replied, “Call it what you want. It looks like a tiny little prison.”
Later, Xander was expressing his frustration at Philip and said, “Oh, God, it is no good, Philip. This is a nightmare. I mean, just being in your presence makes my gorge rise, let alone working with you.” I had to look up what he meant by “gorge.” In this context, "gorge" refers to the contents of the stomach. It is an old-fashioned way of saying something like, "I feel like throwing up." Xander was expressing disgust so strong that it literally made him feel nauseated; a colorful way of saying Philip’s mere existence is stomach-turning.
EJ walked into Kayla’s office as she was getting off the phone with Bo. He said, “That doesn’t sound like a work call,” and she replied, “And that didn’t sound like a knock at my door. Yet here we are.”
Leo said to Javi, “You have changed me, Javi, for the better. I’m a happier person. I sleep better. That rash I had has gone away and so did the twitch in my left eye.”
In Horton Square, Leo and EJ later bumped into each other, but Leo didn’t want to talk with him because he’s on Johnny’s jury. EJ said, “Everyone in Salem knows your penchant for craven, greedy self-preservation.” Leo stated that that was who he used to be, and EJ replied, “Grifters, much like leopards, never change their spots, Leo. It’s not like the jury’s still out on that one.” EJ wanted to bribe him to exonerate Johnny, and Leo responded, “Find somebody else to be a stooge. Leo Stark is not for sale. Well…not anymore.”
And in a line that might be foreshadowing, Gabi told Tony, “I thought you’d be bringing someone back from the dead to run the company,” when he offered her the CEO position. That was hilarious!
REACTION OF THE WEEK
When Gabi told Javi that Arianna had been kidnapped, the shocked look on his face expressed his full reaction. Also, Johnny was shocked when he realized that Chanel had called in Susan Banks to use her psychic powers to find out who really shot EJ. Another priceless reaction.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Are Xander and Gabi headed for romance? I doubt it, but she might use that newfound connection to gather intel for Tony. The summer video preview also showed the two kissing, perhaps to make Sarah jealous?
Sophia showed Tate a supposed picture of the adoptive parents holding the baby. It looked like a photo that comes with a frame that you buy at the store. It was so obviously fake, I’m sure someone will start to investigate the veracity of Sophia’s tale.
However, Sophia did a great job of convincing Tate to sign the adoption papers without seeing the baby. She has the potential to go two ways: she could use her ability for good, or she could us it for bad. Hopefully, she doesn’t turn to the Dark Side.
OK, so how many of you closed your eyes and breathed when Marlena was starting to hypnotize EJ? Go and admit it, you know you did it. I did. Lol.
PARTING THOUGHTS
Bell and EJ realize that if they don’t find out who shot him through hypnosis, they’ll end up going to war in court. And they were both smiling and almost looking forward to it. I think that’s kind of cute. But a friendly rivalry like that has the potential to go South fast. They’ll both probably be ruthless in court, and that’s going to be fun to watch.
OUTRO
As always DOOL-ers, thank you for joining me this week. Come back next week when we will finally get an answer to the age-old question of whether or not gravity ever gets to take a day off.
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